Snow Days

It is not news to many people that snow days bring screams of joy to young (and older) kids. The reality is, teachers, truly, are the ones who are more excited. Looking at the TV or checking online is maddening. Each time a new district comes on the list, you hope and pray that yours will be too. You get irritated when it is not, and the "it's not fairs" come flying. Then, when you get the call or see it on TV, you are the one with screams of joy.
Before becoming a mom I loved snow days...for different reasons. I got to stay in my pjs all day, sleep in, watch junkie TV. Now, I love telling my girl that today is a stay home day. We love it. We might still stay in our pjs all day and sleep in. Junkie TV is replaced with doing puzzles, crafts (she is into cutting paper into bits right now) and watching her favorite movie (anything to do with horses). It is also such a night rejuvenator for coming back. An unexpected rest has occured and things are good again.
Enjoy the snow everyone. I will end with a haiku:

White Beauty

Snow is falling down.
The ground is a white blanket.
Flakes tickle my nose.

Weight Loss

So I joined Weight Watchers for the....hmmmm...fifth time a couple of weeks ago. I was supposed to have my second weigh in last Wednesday, but the meeting was canceled due to crazy snow weather (darn). So, while I knew I could not stay for the meeting tonight, I knew I had to go. So, figuring I gained a couple of pounds, I went. Stood on the scale...lost 6.8 pounds (in two weeks). Now, before you go thinking that's wonderful and that WW must be the best plan in the world, here is the real story...
Less than an hour before I went to the first weigh in, I had a pretty hefty dinner at Tres Potrillos (local Mexican restaurant). Then, for the past couple of weeks, I have not kept track of my food intake, nor have I tried really hard to make good food choices. I didn't exercise either. So what gives?
Well, here's the thing. That 6.8 pounds was enough to motivate me to make sure I pay attention to what I eat this week. I want that 10 pound ribbon. That is my first goal. Goal number two: lose 5 % of my weight. Goal number three: lose 20 pounds. Goal number four: lose 10 % of my weight. I can't think beyond that, but I will remember something I have heard my sister say before: Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. I am going to modify that quote a bit: Nothing tastes as good as being healthy, being able to chase my daughter without a break, and being able to feel good about myself.

I will keep you posted!

A Day of Sledding

Well, it was about thirty minutes of sledding. It was about all the girl could take. We had never taken her sledding before and since she was feeling better we decided that the weather was perfect. We found a decent hill by a church. Brian bought some flimsy (but workable) mats for sled. I had no desire to go really. Being cold and wet is not my idea of fun. But I figured that if I did not go, I would say I would grade papers, but whoever knows me would know the truth...on the couch watching cooking shows or on the computer for no good reason.
I was worried that she might be afraid to go down the hill by herself, but she was not at all. She showed no fear going down. She loved it.
I am so glad that I went. I would not want to have missed that experience with her. Thank you, Brian, for the great idea! It was a blast!

Facebook

The cult that is Facebook has taken over our school, and I am not talking about the kids. In the past couple of weeks, so many teachers have joined this addictive forum, and I LOVE IT. It is not enough that we see each other every day, and on the occasional week night or weekend, we feel the need to update each other on what we are up to when we are together. It cracks me up. It makes me feel kind of like a narcissistic voyeur. I believe that people want to know that I am wasting my time on the computer when I should be grading papers (as they probably should be as well:-) or that I have nothing to wear to school tomorrow since I did not do the laundry. On the other side of the wall is the fact that I really am interested in knowing what my friends are doing.
What I have really loved about Facebook is that is has reconnected me with friends that I have, for whatever reason, lost touch with. Does this mean that we are instantly "friends" again? No, but it is great to catch up, see pictures of kids, and see how they are doing.
So, great Facebook creator, whoever you are...thank you!!! This is fun!

Claire funny

This morning Claire and I were driving to school when she asked me where food goes after we eat it. The conversation follows:
Claire: Where does food go after we eat it?
Me: Well, why don't you tell me what you think, and then I will tell you what I think.
Claire: After you chew your food it goes to your stomach.
Me: Where does it go first?
Claire: It goes in your esophagus.
Me: Then where?
Claire: Then it goes in the stomach and then the small intestines and then the large intestines.
Me: So where does it go after that?
No response.
Me: Do you think it stays in your large intestines?
Claire: No.
Me: Well, what do you think?
Claire: Mama it happens to everyone.
Me: laughing....that is true.
Claire: It comes out the butt.
Me: Yes, it is called your anus.
Claire: Oh, yeah, the anus (as if she already knew this--who knows, maybe she did)

She makes me laugh daily.

These people are the same age I am

We went out to celebrate a friend's thirtieth birthday last night. After a great dinner at Gordon Birsch (great food, by the way), we decided to head to a bar that was pretty close by to hang out. Well, we got there pretty early, so things started out fine. About twenty minutes after we got there, they turned the music up...and the music wasn't even that great. Now, if Come On Eileen were playing, things would have been fine, but that was not the case. A couple of hours into the night, I looked around and thought, you know, these people are my age. Ummmmm, no! They were in their twenties, and as my husband would say...I am pushing forty. Now I just turned 37, so I would have to disagree with him about that, but I am definitely closer to 40 than my twenties.
When will I feel as old as I really am?